Koseki keeps WBC 102lb belt for 12 time; Shibata wins IBF 108lb title

By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Boxing Beat

This reporter is tired with many world title bouts this week in Japan—four title goes in five days since last Sunday. Should you be a fight scribe here in Japan where there are nearly three hundred shows a year (five promotions a week on an average), you would need physical power, mental power, perseverance and diligence to cover numerous events, many press conferences, public workouts, weigh-ins, etc.

Today we saw another new world champ, if female, totaling sixteen world champions—eleven male and five female ones. Japan’s Naoko Shibata (11-3, 3 KOs), 107.5, acquired the vacant IBF female light-flyweight (108-pound) belt as she defeated previously unbeaten Mexican Alondra Garcia (11-1, only one KO), 107.75, in a ten-round elimination bout on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

In the main event, unbeaten WBC atomweight (102-pound) ruler Momo Koseki (14-0-1, 4 KOs), 102, kept her belt for the twelfth time by pounding out a unanimous decision (97-91 twice and 96-92) over Mexican Nora Cardoza (10-5-3, 6 KOs), 101.75, over ten gory rounds as Bloody Mary’s both kept streaming blood all the way.

Promoters: World Sports Gym and Aoki Gym in association with Celes Promotions.